New Campus Construction
Oregon State University in Corvallis will be getting a new Arts and Education facility. The university's board of trustees recently approved construction of the $70 million complex, which will host performing arts classes, programs and performances on the campus in a 500-seat concert hall.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
Construction Funding
San Antonio College is funding construction of a new $13 million science building from a $83 million bond approved by county voters in 2017.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
Construction Projects
According to the university, the 133,000-square-foot building is intended to support advanced research and economic development initiatives with a design that emphasizes makerspaces, collaborative research facilities and flexible gathering areas.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/04/21
COVID Testing
A company that does develops COVID-19 testing management programs for colleges and universities is bringing its services to K-12 schools. CoVerified is working with Mirimus Clinical Labs, which performs saliva pool testing, to launch CoVerifiedPool, a mechanism for testing student populations regularly and affordably.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/01/21
COVID-19 and Schools
A school district near Denver, CO where students have returned to in-person instruction has deployed a technology in its classrooms and common areas with the aim of killing viruses in the air and on surfaces. The deployment was funded by a Safe Schools Reopening Grant, a one-time, $15 million program offered through the Colorado Department of Education in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Podcast
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 01/15/21
Business
It will be critical for institutions to look at new ways to generate revenue and reduce expenses that are sustainable and effective. There are several initiatives that institutions can consider or implement in response to the crisis.
Media Center
Here’s how Midland School District overhauled the media centers and turned them into central activity hubs for the schools.
A company that provides "contactless" on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning services has announced a surge of business from colleges and universities, to address the needs of students who are in quarantine or isolation while living on campus.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/14/21
Two universities are working together to figure out how to make energy generation, storage and system operation more efficient and reliable, especially in "microgrid" settings.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/07/21
A five-campus college in Scotland has distributed a new virtual desktop for its construction students to allow them to work on industry-grade software from home.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/07/21
Construction
A $77 million project currently underway will provide affordable housing options for school employees who work for the Alameda school district.
Construction
The 14,000-square-foot renovation includes a construction science lab, manufacturing lab, automotive lab, art room, and computer science and robotics lab.
Healthy Schools
MeTEOR Education, a company that offers turn-key services for space design, announced it is making medical and industrial-grade Continuous Air & Surface Pathogen Reduction (CASPR) technology available for schools. The technology has been used in hospitals and medical centers for some time but it is now available to schools.
Makerspace
Saint Joseph Academy expanded its Makerspace innovation lab to 4,800 square feet, more than four times the size of the former makerspace.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/14/20
Energy
A $5.8 million sustainability project to convert steam plumbing to hot water plumbing recently completed the first of eight phases at Wesleyan University.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
Research
University researchers will be studying how to reduce waste in the construction industry, thanks to a grant from United Kingdom Research and Innovation, a public body that supports research and knowledge exchange in higher education.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
New Construction
A community college in southwest Missouri has just broken ground on a new facility to house advanced manufacturing education programs.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/10/20
Energy
Georgetown University has taken the next step in its commitment to sustainability by committing to obtaining two-thirds of its total electricity consumption directly from "local" solar farms in Maryland and New Jersey.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/09/20
PODCAST
Ishita Banerjii, project architect at Hollis + Miller, discusses Kansas State University’s new multicultural student center. The building, dedicated to advance student diversity, features various gathering spaces like dance studios, huddle rooms, and a commercial kitchen.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/08/20
Cleaning & Maintenance
Although you set your initial school maintenance plan during the late summer months, now is a good time to evaluate its effectiveness, find opportunities to refine your processes, and make sure you and your teams are doing all you can to safeguard students and staff if and when they enter your doors in person.
Cleaning
3M’s Commercial Solutions Division launched a new line of products that reduces the labor and product costs associated with routine floor maintenance, according to the company.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/01/20
Reader Survey
COVID-19 has changed and will continue to change every aspect of education in K–12 and higher education for the foreseeable future. We polled our readership to learn of the experiences taking place across the nation and get a glimpse of what's being planned going into the spring 2021 semester and beyond.
Facility Focus
Editor's Note
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 12/01/20
Learning Spaces
Interiors
Contests
AT&T, in collaboration with non-profit Connected Nation, launched an online application for the AT&T K-12 Connected Learning Program, which offers free wireless internet service and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for marginalized students nationwide.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/30/20
Cleaning/Maintenance
This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu is more important than ever.
Lab Equipment
HEMCO, a laboratory equipment manufacturer, released its CleanAire II Ductless Hoods. The hood is designed to meet DH I requirements as defined by SEFA 9.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/30/20
Building Solutions, a real estate and facility assessment advisor, announced their “Building Solutions for Brighter Futures” campaign, an initiative that helps make improvements in underserved Dallas-Fort Worth area schools with the hope it will help achieve better outcomes for K-12 students.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/17/20
Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District will break ground on a new elementary school at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 in Baytown, Texas.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/17/20
Adaptive Reuse
As the education industry assimilates to a new and uncertain future, we can take one lesson from 2020 with us: we must embrace innovative solutions and have the courage to try new things as we plan for the future. Adaptive reuse can support this endeavor.
- By Shelby Hinchliff and Paul Vanderheiden
- 11/16/20
PODCAST
In this episode of Schools In Focus, Turan Duda and Jeff Paine, founding principals of Duda|Paine Architects, discuss how architectural design is shifting to better address the mental and physical health needs of students.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/10/20
The FreshAir1 Smoking Detection System is capable of monitoring up to 500 square feet and is suited for educational facilities to enforce no-smoking policies.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/09/20
Classroom Spaces
With a curriculum centered on connection to nature and environmental stewardship, Linden Waldorf School's vision for the pavilions were to move all classes completely outdoors where students get to be in nature throughout the whole school day.
- By Yvonne Marquez
- 11/06/20